The invention relates to a longwall support control for controlling the movements of the longwall support units in the longwall of a mine.
A control system of this type is disclosed in DE 102 07 698.7 A1 as well as in DE 199 82 113.5-24 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,481,802).
This longwall support control permits activating the individual longwall support control units, in the present application also referred to as mining shields, from a central control or by individual control units, which are each associated to a mining shield (mining shield control devices) or via radio by an operating device. Basically, the radio commands that are input by the operating device are transmitted to one of the mining shield control devices, which is provided with a receiving set. From this mining shield control device, respectively adjacent or a plurality of adjacent shields are activated. Basically, the control signals are transmitted to all mining shield control devices via a line that is common to all mining shield control devices. However, the mining shield control devices are programmed such that only that mining shield control device is addressed and caused to execute the control commands, to which the code word is associated that is transmitted along with the control command. All other mining shield control devices retransmit the control signal with the code word. With an input of a control command the common line (bus line) is taken.
It is an object of the invention to improve the longwall support control, which permits transmitting signals at the same time between the operating device and the mining shield control devices in both directions, and which permits transmitting in particular also other signals along with a control signal.